The main goal of this work is to gain knowledge of how and to what extent state-of-the-artsimulation tools can be used in a conceptual development phase for vehicle dynamics control atVolvo Car Corporation (VCC).The first part of the thesis deals with an evaluation of vehicle dynamics simulation tools and theiruses. The three simulation tools selected for the study, namely Mechanical Simulation CarSim 8.2.1,IPG CarMaker 4.0.5, and VI-Grade CarRealTime V14, are briefly described and discussed. In order toevaluate and compare these tools with respect to application for vehicle dynamics control, a criterialist is developed covering aspects such as tool requirements and intended usage. Based on thecriteria list and certain identified drawbacks, a ranking of the tools is made possible. Furthermore,the process of developing vehicle models for the different tools is discussed in detail, along with theprocedure of validating the vehicle models.In the second part, the concept of Collision Avoidance Driver Assistance (CADA) function isintroduced and possible approaches for developing CADA functions are discussed in brief. It isimportant to note that the CADA functions in this work are based on cornering the vehicle i.e.maneuvering around the threat, rather than solely reducing vehicle speed. A number ofimplementations of the functions are developed in Simulink. A frequency analysis of a simplifiedlinear vehicle model is performed to investigate the influence of steering, differential braking, andtheir combination on the resultant lateral displacement of the vehicle during an evasive maneuver.The developed CADA functions are then simulated using the vehicle simulation tools. Two specificmetrics - Lateral Displacement gain and DeltaX - are formulated to evaluate the effectiveness of theCADA functions. Based on these metrics, the assistance obtained due to the functions for a specificevasive maneuver is compared.From the evaluation process of the three tools, two were considered suitable for the purpose ofsimulating collision avoidance functions. The evaluation of the CADA functions demonstrates thatcombined assistive steering with differential braking provides considerable assistance in order toavoid collisions. The simulation results also present interesting trends which provide a usefuldirection regarding the conditions for intervention by such collision avoidance functions during anevasive maneuver. The use of simulation tools makes it possible to observe these trends and utilizethem in the development process of the functions.